Consider: should someone who only plays four hours a week be stuck with a permanent disadvantage against those who play 40? Or should there be a way for them to catch up? What about people who come into the game months or years after release, when most players would have unlocked their abilities through the time spent in-game? For many more casual gamers this kind of thing is a major boon. Again, there are pros and cons to any approach taken here, and someone is going to be left unhappy no matter what course is taken.
Considered this: Should someone who only plays four hours a week be given advantages just by paying money over someone who doesn't but plays more? Should a player who doesn't buy dlc be punish with a inherit disadvantage, because someone who doesn't play as much as they do can boost his character up the entire way to get weapons and star cards that are more powerful? Also if a person who only plays hours chooses not to buy this but other people, then aren't they screwed, because who just got the game like him already have half the weapons and star cards, because they bought it all with real money? While your right there will always be pros and cons, but if the cons affect the major of players then you always go with the option that doesn't affect the majority.
People asked for free DLC so the player base is split up, so we got lootboxes so that they can make the money to produce these free items. Nothing in life is free, so you have to pay for it one way or the other. Cosmetic DLC will probably not make enough money either, otherwise they would've gone that route instead. And here's the thing, if there was no market for this sort of thing, EA would never implemented it in the first place just because of the PR disaster these things bring about. Do you see people outraged about GTA's micro-transactions and how you can't do anything in the game unless you either get hacked and get tons of money, grind for all hours of the day or buy one shark card and make things easier. Of course, but what is the result of the outrage? Shark Cards for GTA 5 has made literally Billions in revenue, and on top of the fact that GTA 5 is still the number one selling game in alot of countries. The system works and only a small minority of people are outraged compared to the huge audience the causal games appeal to. I'm not defending it at all. This is just the way things are, and have been.
Cosmetic lootcrate systems, and cosmetic micro transactions have been making more money then most other systems. Need proof? Look at Overwatch, CSGO, Battlefield 1, Call of duty(back when it ran those cosmetic camo packs), Playerunkown battlegrounds, etc. Don't get me wrong if BF2 was a free-to-play then I would understand, but it isn't. BF2 is a $60 AAA game, and there are other ways to make money clearly. listen here is how we fix the problem: Pull all weapons, star cards, and non-cosmetic stuff off the store. Then people are more likely to purchase these cosmetic packs because its about making there solider look cool, and not some game-breaking gear you get out of them. And GTA 5 is a poor example because, that isn't a lootcrate system, and It doesn't affect how you play in competitive modes like death match, races, and other game modes, it only affects the open world, which doesn't really affect anyone since most people don't need to pay-to-win, and rarely are near each other. Players also don't need shark cards because you can earn that money rather easily. The reason why BF2 is worse, is because its a slow painful progression just to get one crate, and I can just buy a couple crates and still get a star card guarantee if I choose the right pack.
The system works and only a small minority of people are outraged compared to the huge audience the causal games appeal to. I'm not defending it at all. This is just the way things are, and have been.
Really? I mean look on YouTube, look at Reddit, look at 4chan, its clear that a lot of players are upset. it got so much attention that EA had to respond. And No this isn't how the system was and always has been, the original system was:
1. You buy a game(usually $60)
2. Later down the line(maybe about a 3-4 months) dlc would either be announce or release.
The problem is so many companies tried to push $60 season passes, which is Bullshit since the dlc isn't, really worthy that much. Companies finally realize this and change that could be good if implemented right, but most are poorly implementing it.
Games like Overwatch have lootcrates, but they are cosmetic only
Other games that like even EA's own Battlefield 1 have cosmetic only lootcrates.
